"Stuff Happens!"

Wow! “Stuff” happens and that's for sure! I have had several hours of quiet in the house with me on the computer and the dogs sleeping and the “Reddings” more or less behaving. Seven a.m. Seems the “witching hour” and it is also breakfast time for the crew. The Reddings began to wrestle and from the sounds of it once again Opus was losing. I think Otis likes to make him sqawk. So out they went in the porch and were fed first. I got Jiggs dry food out on the counter and went back to the computer to sign off a chat, and could hear this unusual noise. I wondered if it was the music on t.v. , but no, it was little sounds Jiggs was making at the delay in his favorite time of the day-eating time! These animals really do run my life.

I remember my vet telling me when I first told him of Keepers' “incontinence” that I would just have to put up with it at her age. And so I have and mostly it is not a big deal(one small bit of info for others-if you continue to feed some dry food the “end” results are much easier to pick up!) I am not sure what happened last night but I was out to a small party and when I returned found Keeper had had an assident and all three dogs had walked in it and there was dog crap all across the front room and the living room right to the kitchen! Oh Joy! I tell you none of this was pickable and after trying to wipe some of it up I got the mop and pail and washed the floors. They needed it anyway but not my favorite time to be doing it anyway.

So yes Jiggs is back for five days. At first I really wondered about him. All dogs like to have their “space” and most dogs respect that. In her day Keeper was always quick to respect another animals “space” but when you add her age to the mix and the fact that she is nearly blind, can't hear and at times staggers(sometimes even falls) this bit of dogdom doesn't work so good. Jiggs growled to let her know she was trespassing but here you go-she can't hear! When she still didn't back off he went for her and if you understand dogs you cannot blame him. But he still got chastised and now seems to understand a bit better. At other times there have been problems with keepers bed in the bedroom. The old girl doesn't settle well at bedtime and will wander around aimlessly and go for a drink etc. This time Jiggs seems to have figured that one out and I suspect he is sleeping on the couch so have put a blanket down and all is well.

Keeper is having a hard time in the frozen snow and now there is also ice right at the door. I put stuff down but will put some sand as well today. I would imagine old dog bones could break as easily as old peoples? We don't need that for sure.Although Jiggs is a great dog he is younger and more exuberant and not one for manners at the door, which also makes it hard for Keeper. Teko being smaller seems to be able to stay out of the way and scoot out the door without any one pushing or shoving him. He really is a little survivor for sure.

Not a lot happening with the Reddings although Otis has been upchuking a lot lately. I had put it down to his greediness and cut back on their food but yesterday found he had eaten a silver ribbon! I can only hope all of it came up and there isn't anything in there causing a problem. Exrays and/or surgery would prove to be costly I am sure! I will see what the next few days bring. I know animals are costly at times and can only hope he grows up and learns not to eat eveything he finds. Otis definitely seems to be the “wild child” of this family anyway. Opus was making the awful hairball noises the other day and I quickly applied the hairball medicine to his paw and he licked it all up so hope that did the trick.

As I said at the beginning I know “STUFF” happens but I am really getting tired of dealing with all these bodily fluids! Of course once spring comes and the first green grass there will all sorts of upchucks as the dogs do their purging so maybe it is all just part of life. Uh oh the old girl who has been sleeping heavily just woke up and will want her brekkie soon so gotta go. Have a great day everyone sans animal body fluids!!